55 emails later, we shot their engagement session. Rita and Paul knew what they wanted for their e-session. They wanted snow, they wanted a Chicago theme, and they were willing to wait for it. The same can be said for their relationship. Paul and Rita have been dating for four and a half years, and all of it has been long distance. A few years back, Paul’s friend from church got engaged, and Paul jokingly asked… “Does she have a younger sister?” Little did he know that this question would change the rest of his life. Paul’s friend soon introduced him to the “younger sister,” Rita – and the two began their Michigan-Chicago relationship.

After four and a half years, Paul decided he wanted Rita with him, here in Chicago, forever. And what better way to propose to her than on his birthday, right? Except that Rita was also trying to throw Paul a surprise birthday party on the very same night. So while Rita thought she was pulling off this epic surprise birthday party, Paul had another idea in mind. Before they left for his “birthday dinner,” Paul brought Rita up to their rooftop to pop the big question. Even after the proposal, Rita still thought her surprise party was on – and it wasn’t until she walked into her own surprise engagement party that she realized she hadn’t really planned a birthday party at all 🙂

So after weeks of waiting for snow, we finally got our perfect day…. and it just happened to be days after the Top 5 snowstorm Chicago has ever seen. We played in the snow at Olive Park, where Rita may or may not have almost gotten hypothermia (what a trooper), we walked along State Street to get the iconic Chicago Theater sign in the background, we stopped at Starbucks to warm up with a cup of coffee (with the holiday cups Rita had saved from months before), and we ended at the Millennium Park Ice Rink to show off their skating skills (Paul coaches hockey, and Rita used to figure skate). All those emails, all the waiting, all the planning, all the shivering… it definitely paid off. Because this extended e-session might be one of my favorite. sessions. ever. See for yourselves…